


Always With You

by Alecto



Series: Stay With Me [5]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Broken Families, Child Abuse (Nondescript), Childhood, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family, Ficlet Collection, Friendship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-16
Updated: 2011-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-10 14:17:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 16,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life can be full of feelings of alienation. But we're all driven by the hopes of someday finding someone who'll be able to understand our struggles. These are the stories of how their friendships were forged and families were broken.</p><p>~ Part of the <i>Stay With Me</i> universe ~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Yami Met Yugi

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Stay With Me, so you do need to have a background in those stories to fully appreciate these. The _Stay With Me_ Arc reads in the following order: **Domestic Harmony, In the Absence of My Best Friend, Proving to Myself**, and **Trial By Fire**. It gives more background on the characters and their relationships in the AU. Enjoy.
> 
> Based on the flavors provided by the 52 flavours community on LiveJournal.

\- **Folie à deux -**_  
43\. We were twins too poor to have the dignity of separate names._

Yami hated the little runt at first sight.

The small chubby child, probably about five years old, was hiding behind the legs of the… the **woman** that had seduced his father away. He couldn't understand why his mother had been so dead on this meeting.

He wanted nothing to do with them.

He just wanted his Papa back.

"Yugi," the one that had broken apart Yami's happy family addressed her spawn. "Why don't you go play with Yami while Rumiko-san and I talk?"

Yugi, as the spawn was named, only clung harder to the pants of his mother. The other woman sighed and pried the boy away, before giving him a gentle push in Yami's direction.

"I prepared some tea for us in the kitchen." The other woman, who Yami wasn't sure if he hated more or less than the spawn, gestured in the direction of the next room.

"That's very kind of you, Yui-san. Now, Yami, play nice with your brother." Yami's mother said before she and the other woman left the room.

"Half-brother." Yami snapped, but his mother was already gone from the room.

They were alone together for the first time ever. He turned to look at his so-called sibling. The kid was trembling like a frightened rabbit ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Yami gave the kid his best glare/angry face. Yugi shrunk back. He moved closer to the boy and Yugi moved back further.

God, the kid was such a wimp!

Soon, Yugi was out of places to run and Yami had him cornered. The brat looked scared out of his mind. Yami almost thought it was going to piss itself right there.

"Fine," Yami declared with the authority befitting any boy about to become a teenager. "Let's play cops and robbers. I'm the cop and you're the robber."

"Wh-why do I ha-have to-to be t-th-the rob-rob-robber?" The brat stuttered.

At least Yami knew it wasn't mute now. But maybe the kid was better off mute than stuttering like that.

"Because you're a bad person," he grabbed his so-called younger brother's arm. "I'm gonna put you in jail."

"Bu-but-but th-that's not fa-fairrrrrrrrrr!" Tears began to water in Yugi's eyes. "I-I-I did-di-didn't do any-anything!"

Great, the kid was a stupid crybaby too!

"Yeah, you did. Dad left because of you, it's because you're an evil person!" Yami shouted, feeling a familiar anger rising from the pit of his stomach. "Because of you, Papa is gone!"

He watched as the little boy broke down and starting crying. It sounded heart-wrenching even to Yami's ears. He could feel his conscience starting to prod him for his actions, but he tried to ignore it.

Footsteps came scurrying into the room. It wasn't their respective mothers coming to save one child and scold the other. It was Ojii-chan, it was his favorite Ojii-chan. Mutou Sugoroku took one look at the scene and immediately rushed to Yugi's side. Yami felt a brush of indignation.

"Yami, were you picking on your brother?" Ojii-chan asked.

"No!" Yami pouted. **His **Ojii-chan had never scolded him before- never. His Ojii-chan loved him that much. "It was his fault, he started it."

"Yami, you should know better. You're the onii-san here. You have to take care of Yugi."

"I hate him!" Yami screamed. He hated the sight of **his **grandfather hugging and comforting the spawn.

He had never seen his grandfather wear such a sad and mournful expression before then. "You're too young to hate, Yami. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Ever."

He felt his blood boil as he watched **his** grandfather stroke Yugi's hair- hair that was too similar to his own. "I was here first! It's not fair. It's not fair!"

"You'll understand when you're older." His grandfather shook his head.

Yami firmly believed he already understood, without all this growing up crap.


	2. When Noa Met Seto

\- **Folie à deux -**__  
48.  
You have set me among those who are defeated.  
I know it is not for me to win, nor to leave the game

Noa stepped out of the car and gave the driver a curt farewell. As he looked up the long driveway, he saw another car- his father's car- approaching. Kaiba Gozaburo had been absent from the office all day, in order to make an appearance at some philanthropic event or another.

The car slowed to a stop and he walked over to the passenger's seat where his father usually emerged from. To his surprise, it was not his father that stepped out, but a young boy. He was probably about ten-years-old or so.

It was the boy's appearance that shocked him the most. His chestnut brown hair was neatly combed, reaching the nape of his neck. He had the bluest eyes Noa had ever seen. When the young boy looked up at him, it was like the truth of the universe had been laid bare before him. It was as if Noa's world had tunnel-visioned to focus on this boy and this boy alone.

The boy looked exactly like him.

A sound of awe caused his world to widen once more. There was another boy, even younger than the first, peering out from behind the brown-haired boy.

"Noa."

His world snapped back with startling clarity. His father was addressing him, and his father demanded absolute attention when he addressed anyone.

"Good afternoon, Chichiue." Noa replied automatically.

The man brushed off the greeting. "Good, you're here. I can get this out of the way all at once. Seto, this is your new older brother, Noa. Noa, from today on, they are Kaiba Seto and Kaiba Mokuba, your brothers."

Noa had become accustomed to having slight auditory and/or visual hallucinations since his childhood accident, but never anything as ludicrous as this. "Excuse me?" He asked, feeling dumbstruck.

"I don't like repeating myself. You should know better than that." His father glared at him, huffing out his chest to make himself look bigger.

The young brown-haired boy, Seto, stepped forward and offered Noa a hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Noa-san."

He couldn't do anything, but take the boy's hand. "Of course, Seto-kun."

"Nice to meet you, Noa-nii-san!"

"That's enough," Gozaburo said. "The staff will get you two settled inside."

The two boys recognized the hint to leave. They were followed into the house by the chauffer carrying just one large suitcase. The boys didn't own very much if that was the case.

"Why?" Noa asked.

His father stared at him with a disdainful expression. "You know why."

Oh, Noa did know. He knew he was damaged. He knew he wasn't producing enough output. He knew he wasn't showing enough initiative in the company. He knew he hadn't been able to best the many challenges his father set for him. He knew his father was expecting far more from him, Kaiba Noa…

"But he's a child!"

"A child that challenged me to a game of chess and won; a child who saw an opportunity and took it with ruthless efficacy," Gozaburo corrected him and gazed straight into Noa's eyes. "And you're not going to lose to a child, are you, my son?"

No way in hell was Noa going to let that happen.


	3. When Yugi Met Seto

**\- Folie à deux -**   
_47\. Bitterness doesn't stand a chance with those two._

Seto would one day tell him that the probability of their meeting was only one-in-115 and that it was nowhere as astronomical chance as Yugi first guessed. The Domino Toy and Games Convention had more than 6000 attendees that day alone. Their hands met first over a box of imported Duel Monster booster packs.

"I'm sorry." Yugi quickly drew back his hand and doing his best to sneak a look at the other hand's owner from under his lashes.

The other boy was about the same height as him, with short brown locks falling over deep blue eyes. There was another boy, slightly younger, brimming with energy. Their chaperone didn't look like any parent Yugi had ever seen, dressed in a dark suit and fitted with dark sunglasses indoors.

"Hi!" The younger boy with long black hair and gray eyes piqued when he noticed Yugi's glance.

"Sorry," the older boy nodded. "Please go ahead."

Yugi felt awkward at the show of formality. He quickly plucked a pack of booster cards from the top of the pile and stepped back.

The other boy took one last look over at Yugi before handing over a crisp, new 10,000 yen bill. "I'll take the entire box."

Yugi felt his jaw drop. He had never seen so much money before in his young life. It was obvious this other boy was from a rich family. He hadn't seen any other kid his age walking around the convention with a stack of 10,000 yen bills. The suits man took the box of cards as the dealer counted out the change back to the brown-haired boy.

He quickly turned his attention to his booster pack instead. It was better to concentrate on that. He tore open the packaging and began flipping through the cards he had received. He concentrated hard on some of the names, trying to decipher the English titles.

"Oh, that's the Black Magician. Isn't that one of the rare cards you were talking about, Nii-san?"

Yugi hadn't noticed the younger black-haired boy at his side until now.

The older boy waved a hand at the suits man, who appeared to give a disapproving look before going away. "I'm…" the boy hesitated as he begun to introduce himself. "Kaiba Seto, and this is my brother, Mokuba."

"Hi!" Mokuba piqued cheerfully again and Yugi smiled despite himself.

"My name's Mutou Yugi." His gaze remained on the tiled floor.

"I'm sorry, did you want to buy more?" Seto asked.

"No-no, I just wa-want-wanted one." He began stuttering.

Mokuba looked up at him in concern. "It's okay, I'm always nervous when I meet new people. Like when we first moved into the Kaiba mansion and Noa-nii-"

The boy was cut off by the slight glare of his older brother. "That's enough, Mokuba. I'm sure Mutou-kun doesn't want to hear about that."

Yugi squirmed at the sound of the unfamiliar form of address. No one but his teachers called him Mutou-kun. "Where do you go to school? I've never seen you before."

The younger brother answered. "Nii-san gets home-schooled. I get to go to real school though." Mokuba seemed jealous of the fact his older brother got to stay home all day.

"So do you play Duel Monsters?" Seto asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"A little. My Grandpa is teaching me how. I-I'm not not very g-good at Engl-english…" Yugi said meekly, looking down again and feeling strangely ashamed at his lack of English proficiency at the age of eleven.

"I can help," Seto said, looking almost a bit surprised at himself. "I'm pretty good at English. Maybe we can be…dueling partners?"

"Yay! New friends!" Mokuba exclaimed as Yugi felt hope swell in his chest.


	4. When Honda Met Jounouchi

**\- Folie à deux -  
** _44\. It is not for nothing he has chosen to shed tears. _

It had been two weeks since his Onee-san moved out of the apartment and Honda had been locked out of the house yet again. Sure, there was more room than ever. If only he was ever able to get into the apartment to enjoy it. His stomach growled and reminded him of the fact he hadn't eaten all day.

He decided to go down to the convenience store on the corner. Maybe he could convince the cashier to add something to his ever-growing tab. As he trudged down the stairs with his backpack dragging down his shoulders, he noticed her sitting on the stairs.

It was the little girl that lived down the hall from him. He couldn't remember her name, but her parents were the ones arguing until 2am in the morning. No one ever got a good night sleep on the floor when the mother had the night off from work. She had a plate of takoyaki in her lap and a doll in a little pink dress was seated on the step next to her. He watched as she chased one of the last two remaining takoyaki around the plate before stabbing it with a chopstick. She carefully raised the food up to the doll's lips and said, "Open up, Miho-chan."

Honda's stomach protested as he watched her smear sauce over the doll's face. He took the last few steps to close the distance between them and snatched the last takoyaki off her plate. She stared at him with amazement as he popped the food into his mouth.

He wanted more.

He reached down and picked up the doll as well. "If you bring me more food, I'll give you back your doll."

She stared at him with wide gray eyes for a few seconds before scrambling to her feet and up the stairs. A minute later, a platter of rushing feet told him she was back. She was slightly out of breath when she held up a cookie.

Honda frowned. A cookie wasn't filling, no matter how delicious it was. "I want real food. Bring me something else too." He took the cookie from her and jammed it into his mouth.

She stood there expectantly with her hands extended open.

"Go."

"No," she spoke for the first time with one of the smallest voices he had ever heard. "You said you would give Miho-chan back."

"Not until you get me more food."

"But you said you would give Miho-chan back." She insisted and wouldn't move from her spot.

"Get me more food."

"You said you would give Miho-chan back!"

Honda made a sound of disgust. She was one of **those **kinds of kids. "Fine," he pulled the doll's head off and dropped it into the girl's open palm. "I'll give you back the rest when you bring me more food, **real** food."

The little girl stared at the head of her doll in horror. Tears began welling in her wide eyes.

"Oh shoot," Honda muttered.

He looked around in panic as she broke out into loud sobs. He quickly dropped the rest of the doll at her feet, but her crying grew louder yet. Another scrambling set of footsteps indicated that someone was coming to her rescue, a parent maybe.

A young blond boy, probably about Honda's age, jumped the last few remaining steps to reach the girl. "Shizuka, what's wrong?"

The girl, Shizuka, pointed at Honda and cried, "Onii-chan, he-he broke Miho-chan."

The blond boy took one look at the disassembled doll and balled up his fists. "Hey, you picking on my sister?"

"She broke the doll herself." Honda protested.

"Liar." The blond accused and leapt off the last few steps at Honda.

For a next few minutes, the two of them rolled around the stair landing as Shizuka continued to cry in the background, but this time for her brother. Honda didn't remember much of it in later years, except for the part where he bit Jounouchi's forearm. Their little "fight" ended when Jounouchi wrestled him into a submissive position on the floor.

"Say uncle." The other boy dug his elbow deeper into Honda's back.

"Uncle."

"Now say sorry to my sister."

Honda twisted his head enough to look at the girl. "I'm sorry about your doll. I'll buy you a new one or something."

The other boy got off of him and crossed his arms over his chest while puffing it out. "You said it. And a man always keep his words."

That was first of many lessons Honda Hiroto would learn from Jounouchi Katsuya.


	5. Refuge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping this story will be a nice change in pace from the other ones, namely in not being focused on first meetings. Enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated!

1\. _Kan__, ya ma kan_  
(Once there was, and once there was not.)

In the coming weeks, Jounouchi and Honda found shelter from their families' problems in each other. There weren't many other children in the apartment complex and most of them were told to stay away from Jounouchi and/or Honda in particular.

Whenever Honda was locked out of his apartment, he would go over to Jounouchi's place instead. He rather liked Jounouchi's old man, though he wasn't that old. Jounouchi Tanaka often bought the three children candy or other little treats, inevitably inviting the wrath of his wife when she returned later.

Tanaka also liked telling them stories about his childhood growing up in the countryside. He was from some small southern town called Suiten.

"It's on an island in the south," Tanaka smiled faintly as he conjured up the scenery of his childhood. "The weather was always pleasant, and winter stayed at a balmy sixty degrees. The forests were always green and you could go fishing in the streams all year around."

The three of them would listen with rapt attention, captivated by the images Jounouchi's father painted for them. Tanaka would talk about how all the people in town knew each other by name and how he was personally greeted by everyone on his way to school. He told them about how he and his friends would nick vegetables and fruits from their neighbors gardens when they came home from school. Or he would entertain them with stories of Toto, the Akita Tanaka's family had when he was a child.

The three of them, Jounouchi, Honda, and Shizuka, would sometimes go down to the convenience store on the corner where the owner would give them each a free onigiri. They would sit on the curb and pretend it was the front porch of Tanaka's family home, pointing out all the different tricks Toto was doing to Shizuka.

Whenever Jounouchi's parents would argue in the middle of the night after his mom returned from work, Jounouchi would take his sister to find Honda. The three of them would go up to the roof and lie on their backs, wishing they could see all the stars Tanaka talked about. Sometimes, they would have to huddle close together to fight off the early spring chill until Honda started bringing a blanket along.

"I can almost see the big dog." Jounouchi would declare, squinting his eyes up to focus on the black sky.

"You can't see anything." Honda would roll his eyes and speak softly not to wake the sleeping Shizuka.

Two months later, Shizuka was gone.

"Okaa-san, where are you going?" Jounouchi was tugging on his mother's shirt when Honda came across the scene that day after school.

The older woman, obviously agitated with the boy, slapped his hand away. "Just go back inside, Katsuya."

"Where are you going?" Jounouchi insisted and threw himself at his mother, clinging tightly to her pants. "Where are you taking Shizuka?"

Shizuka was bawling her eyes out on the other side of the woman. She was clutching Miho-chan and crouching on the ground. The other neighbors in the hallway were beginning to investigate the commotion.

"Let go!" Jounouchi's mother threw the boy off and shoved him roughly away. She grabbed the little girl's hand. "We're leaving, Shizuka."

Shizuka tugged at her mother's grip, straining to reach Jounouchi. "I want Onii-chan! I want Onii-chan!"

"Let go of her!" Jounouchi screamed and kicked his mother's knee.

"You stupid piece of shit," The woman fumed and slapped the boy across the face. "You and your good-for-nothing father."

The entire hallway watched in stunned silence as a red palm mark blossomed across Jounouchi's cheek. Shizuka screamed as her mother dragged her away. The spectators also quickly retreated back into their apartments. Soon, the only people left in the hall were Honda and Jounouchi. And Honda watched Jounouchi cry for the first and last time ever.

After that, Honda began practically living in Jounouchi's apartment. He had his own futon set in the living room for when he slept over. Whenever Tanaka was sober enough, he would tell the two of them stories like he used to. When he was drunk, he would tell stories about how he met Jounouchi's mother, how they fell in love, and how he had followed her back to Domino City.

Jounouchi and Honda didn't like it when he was drunk.

"We'll all go visit Suiten one day. All four of us, both of you, me, and Shizuka. We'll go fishing and stargazing." Tanaka would promise again and again.

But they never did.


	6. Change of Heart

**\- Folie à deux -**  
51.  
_Why are men such fools they will not realize_  
The wisdom that is hidden behind those strange eyes?  
And these wonderful people are you and I.

Yami hated the fact that they sent Christmas together year after year. He'd much rather be back in Tokyo. He'd rather be playing games in the arcade or playing Magic: The Gathering with his friends. He'd even rather be in school than spend Christmas with them.

They first spent Christmas together as a "family" when he was fourteen, two years after he had met them for the first time. He hated the way his mom and the other woman had become such fast friends. What the hell did they have in common anyway?

He was sixteen now and way beyond this let's-all-be-one-big-happy-family crap. He was anything but happy whenever they were all even in the same city as each other. He hated seeing them because it rubbed salt on the still-opened wounded that was his broken family. He hated the fact this was the happiest he had ever seen his mom. And he hated the nagging suspicion that though his father had been a decent parent (but not a great one because he wouldn't have abandoned both his sons if he was one), he had been a douchebag of a husband.

Yami crossed his arms over his chest and "brooded" angrily as he watched his mother embrace his grandfather, Yui, and then the spawn.

"Yami, come say hello to your brother." His mother's tone would brook no arguments.

"Hey, runt."

Yugi smiled shyly at him and Yami made a sound of disgust.

His mother took Yui by the arm and led her toward the kitchen. "Some tea for the hard-working moms then?"

"Of course, how has the year been for you, Rumiko-san?"

"Same old, same old. It's been a good year for the publishing house."

Their grandfather looked at them both and wagged his finger. "You two play nicely now. I have to go watch the store, but I'll be back in just a bit." And the old man wandered off.

Yami continued to sit on the coach in the Mutou's living room and tried his best to ignore the other boy. Despite that, he noticed something was different this year. For one, Yugi hadn't run away at the first opportunity like he did last year. Yugi continued to stand on the other side of the room, shifting from one feet to the other and back again.

"Do you want to play a game?" The squirt blurted out.

He was even more amazed Yugi managed to speak without stuttering.

"Whatever."

The younger boy bolted out of the living room. So much for no longer being a scardy cat... Just when Yami was about ready to dismiss Yugi completely from his mind, the other boy surprised him yet again and came rushing back into with two shoeboxes. Yugi plopped down at Yami's feet and the older boy had to resist the urge to kick him- just a little.

Yugi threw off one of the lids of the shoebox and presented the contents to Yami. "Duel Monsters!"

Yami snorted. "That's kids stuff. Magic is way cooler. Besides, you probably can't even read the text of the cards."

The younger boy's shoulder slumped. "Oh, I see. You're afraid of losing."

"What?" Yami roared. "I can kick your ass any day."

Yugi gave him a dubious look. "Do you even know how to play?"

"I'm a fast learner. Okay, kid, we're settling this now."

In under twenty turns and less than fifteen minutes later, Yami gaped as the younger boy took out the last of his life points with an attack powering over 3000 points.

He had lost!

He never lost! He had never lost a game of Magic since he started. His nickname was "The King of Games" among the Tokyo game circuit for a reason! Yet this brother, whom he still refused to really acknowledge as his brother, had beaten him in a card game.

His wounded teenage gamer pride was infuriated, and only deepened when he saw the somewhat smug grin on Yugi's face. Yet at the same time, there was the dawning inkling that maybe the kid wasn't as useless as he first thought. That was followed by realization that it had been a challenging battle, sometime he probably hadn't experienced since he was about Yugi's age.

"I win." Yugi piqued.

Then there was the urge to pop the kid in the face that was so difficult to fight.

"You just watch, I'll beat you next time."

"We can play again. I can help you build your own deck first!" Yugi looked up with hope shining in his purple eyes.

He hated to admit the little runt was in fact beginning to grow on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Yami is a huge geek! In case you were wondering, there's a six years difference in age between Yami and Yugi. Sorry, the title was kind of lamer than usual. Let me know if there are other characters you would like to read more stories about!


	7. A Boy's Dream: Seto & Yugi

**\- Freedom 90 -**  
23\. walk this way  
we have been set free

Seto wasn't sure what drew him to Yugi in the first place, but he had a few good ideas. First, there were only some many kids their age playing Duel Monsters in Domino City- namely them. Most of their peers didn't want to bother with the English.

Second, Seto found they had a number of other things in common too- namely dead/absent parent(s), brothers, and an overall lack of friends. Yugi was like him in the way he was shunned by his peers.

"They all think I'm bad luck." Yugi told him, staring down at the ground.

Seto scoffed at their ridiculous superstition. "Just want until a string of bad things happen to them. Who's lucky then?"

The children within his adopted father's circle didn't care much for Seto either. They shunned both Seto and Mokuba as a result.

"They make fun of us because we're adopted." He told Yugi on their second meeting.

"Why does that matter?" The other boy wrinkled his nose as he concentrated on the hand of cards.

"It doesn't." Seto replied and drew a card from the top of his deck. He smirked. It was the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

They would meet every week or so at one location or the other. Sometimes it was the library or at the park, and there was always a bodyguard standing by somewhere nearby.

"Why do you always have a bodyguard with you?" Yugi asked as he glanced over at the silent man behind them.

"It's precaution. There may be people out there that want to hurt me." Seto replied. Admittedly, he didn't like being constantly followed around more than Yugi, but he had the additional displeasure of knowing everything was being reported back to Gozaburo.

When Seto came alone the next time, he was glad Yugi knew better than to ask questions. They sat under a tree in the park and spread out the duel mat between them. Yugi was chattering about the new deck he just made.

"But I haven't had anyone to try it out on until now," the other boy's mood seemed dampened then. "Jii-chan plays with me sometimes, but he's busy with the store. And Yami is only here during Christmas."

Seto had a few choice words if he ever met Yugi's brother.

"It's okay," Seto stopped to shuffle his deck. "Because I'm going to make Duel Monsters big in Japan."

Yugi's eye's widened at the declaration. "Really?"

He puffed out his chest a little bit. "Of course, I'll get Kaiba Corporations to translate the cards and soon everyone in Japan will be playing it. I'll hold tournaments, call it 'Battle City.' And we'll compete overseas with the Americans. We'll be the best players in Japan and then the world!"

"The best duelists in the world." Yugi's eyes danced.

"And I'm going to make it happen, because I'm Kaiba Seto! No one's going to stand in my way."


	8. When Yami Met Seto

**\- Freedom 90 -  
**28\. sleight of hand and twist of fate

Yami swore that if he had to listen to Yugi talk about "Seto-kun" any longer, his head was going to burst. His skull was just going to explode and bits of his brain were going to come flying out in all directions.

Ever since Yugi met this Seto kid back in May, the kid had been emailing him constantly (and God knows where his younger brother even got his email from). The older boy was almost certain at this point that Yugi had never had any friends before this.

That almost made him feel sorry for the squirt. Until he opened his big mouth again and started talking about Seto-kun.

Yami wanted to pull his outrageous hair out.

"Hey, let's play some Duel Monsters." The older boy suggested.

Yugi's expression lit up and there was no more talk of Seto-kun for about the next twenty minutes. Yami won this time, as he often did these days when he played cards with the squirt. Since last Christmas, he had honed his skills and began promoting Duel Monsters to the various people in his gaming circles. The game was catching on- after all, the King of Games thought it was all the rage these days.

But Yami had won by the skin of his teeth. It seemed that in two or three years, Yugi would be ready to go toe to toe with him. Some part of him couldn't wait for the coming challenge.

They were busy sitting on the floor of the living room and revising their decks when their grandfather called from the store below, "Yugi, your friend is here to see you."

Yugi looked puzzled for a moment, and Yami began to fear he was actually right about the kid not having any friends. The younger boy left the room to greet his visitor. Yami took the moment to steal the Black Magician Girl out of Yugi's side deck. He would return it later- maybe.

"Seto-kun!" Came Yugi's ecstatic exclamation from downstairs.

Yami groaned.

The patter of feet on the staircase told him they were coming toward him. He panicked for a brief moment, wondering if he should go hide in the guestroom for a bit.

"Yami! This is Seto-kun!"

The older boy took one look at the new arrival and his stomach dropped. "Kaiba Seto, you mean."

"A pleasure," Kaiba bowed stiffly.

His little brother was either super ballsy or super dense, and Yami was guessing it was the second one. Even Yami had heard all kinds of stories about the Kaiba family from Domino City- the super sleazy deals they often made with nations at war with each other and the weird tests Kaiba Gozaburo put his first son through. No family in Japan provided hours and days of gossip and speculations like the Kaiba family did.

Yugi was unaware of all this though. He was beaming with a ridiculous amount of joy. "Seto-kun, why are you here?"

"You said I was welcomed to come over anytime." Kaiba replied stiffly.

"But how'd you know I lived here?"

"I have my ways." Kaiba grinned and Yami felt sort of creeped out by the eleven-year-old. He hadn't been creeped out by a kid since...since he was a kid himself.

"Are you thirsty? Let me go get something for you to drink." His younger brother ran off without hearing Kaiba's answer.

Kaiba looked Yami up and down, as if he was critiquing every inch of him. "So you're Yugi's brother."

He really wanted to knock the arrogant tone out of this kid. There was something about Kaiba Seto that rubbed him the wrong way, and he wasn't sure he wanted Kaiba to be this close to Yugi. He guessed this might be that protective feeling people get about their families sometimes.

"Yami." He said.

"I know." The younger boy replied smugly again.

This kid was entirely too cocky for his own good. Yami knew he was damn cocky sometimes too, but his own ego seemed like nothing compared to what he was seeing of Kaiba's. He had the creepy feeling that Kaiba had already dug up Yugi's entire background and maybe his too.

Now he was getting paranoid.

"I didn't know people like you had friends." Yami sneered.

"Yugi's a good boy," Kaiba spoke as if he was someone much older and focused his steel blue eyes on Yami. "I'm not sure I can say the same for you. You're not a very good brother."

"Half-brother." Yami corrected automatically.

"How about this then? If I duel you and win, you can't pick on Yugi ever again," Kaiba proposed. "You'll have to start acting like an actual older brother."

"And if I win, you don't go anywhere near Yugi ever again." Yami countered.

Kaiba looked surprised for a second, but then his expression hardened. "Be prepared to lose then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't really matter who won the duel. Although in my mind, they tied and thus their respective conditions were dropped. Doesn't mean Seto will ever stop trying to beat Yami at Duel Monsters and vice versa.


	9. Blood Ties

**\- Freedom 90 -  
** _25\. less remain in one place_

Honda had heard somewhere that world ends with the smallest of a bang (or something like that). And he supposed if he had listened very hard that day at about 6:25pm, he would have heard that bang.

He had seen the lights coming up the street, but the presence of police was fairly common in this area of the city. There was always neighbor complaints or couples that fought each other too hard every week or so. As he neared his apartment building, he could see ambulances parked out front too.

Something big went down.

He spotted Jounouchi standing with his father nearby. At least he now knew Tanaka hadn't fallen out of the window in a drunken stupor or something.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked.

His friend jumped. "Honda, where were you?"

"I had detention remember."

"Honda..." Jounouchi's gaze kept darting back and forth to the ambulance at the edge of his vision.

"Hiro-chan!"

Honda winced immediately at the sound of the nickname. He hated it when his sister called them that.

"Don't call me that, Miyuki." He snapped and saw a brief expression of amusement flash across Jounouchi's face. He was soon enveloped by his older sister's arm and fighting the blush that crept across his face.

"Oh god, thank god you're okay, Hiro-chan!"

"And why wouldn't I be?"

He watched as Jounouchi's eyes kept going back to the covered stretcher now being loaded into the ambulance. When he looked at his sister, he finally noticed that her eyes were red from crying. He was beginning to get the feeling that something had gone wrong.

"So who kicked the bucket? Was it the old grandma from the fourth floor?" He managed to ask, despite the lump of anxiety developing in his throat.

The Jounouchis looked at each other, but wouldn't say anything. Miyuki released Honda and looked him in the eye.

"It's mom and dad."

Honda wished he could honestly say that it came as a surprise to him, but he came to suspect this would happen more and more as the years passed.

"So they finally OD'ed on something." He muttered.

"Worse, they blew their brains out." Jounouchi was immediately shut up by the glare from Miyuki.

"A gun?" Honda finally felt a numbness beginning to overtake his fingers, spreading its tendrils over the rest of his body. "You're kidding."

"It's true, Hiro-chan. Your neighbors said they heard Okaa-san and Otou-san arguing and then there were several gunshots." Miyuki said quietly.

His gaze was now also focused on the second stretcher being loaded into the second ambulance. Was that one his father? Or his mother? Did it even matter now that they were both...dead? He couldn't make out much with the sheets covering both of the bodies. At least there wasn't any blood in sight.

He wished he could say he cared more. He cared...somewhat. But it felt like he should care more. These were his parents after all, if only in the sense of blood relations.

"Honda, you okay?" Jounouchi waved a hand in front of his face.

He blinked.

"The authorities are coming your way." The blonde said.

The somewhat diminutive woman that approached him wasn't quite what he expected to be a cop.

"Honda Hiroto?" She asked in a somewhat nasally voice. "I'm Morimoto Keiko from Child Guidance Service, is there any other family you can stay with while we review your case?"

Honda liked that she at least got straight to her point.

Miyuki stepped in between them. "I'm his next of kin, so he'll be staying with me."

The older woman looked down her nose at his sister. "And you are?"

"Honda Miyuki, his older sister. I keep residence elsewhere in Domino City."

Morimoto opened up the file in her hand and made a few notes. He tried to read what she was writing. But when she noticed what he was doing, she snapped the folder shut with a glare. "Very well, your little brother may reside with you in the meanwhile. His custody will be up for formal review once the pending criminal investigation is over."

"I intend to be his legal guardian." Miyuki snapped.

"This is a catfight I don't wanna see." Jounouchi muttered and Honda was inclined to agree.

Morimoto Keiko then walked away with a bit of a waddle so that even the boys couldn't help but snicker. He wished he could say that was the last he would ever see of Morimoto Keiko.


	10. Brother

**\- Lord of a Fell People -  
**13\. Oh! Oh! Malediction!

Yami liked to think he was grown up now. He was in college and he was working part-time to supplement his mother's income. Yep, this is what it meant to be an adult (at least until he graduated and got a real job and became a **real **adult).

Adults were supposed to do whatever they wanted, when they wanted. Yet, he was still required to spend his Christmas holiday with the Mutous. It wasn't that he had harbored any particular ill will toward them anymore. He had gotten over that for the most part. Being an adult meant he now understood the situation and knew it wasn't Yui or Yugi's fault. Being mature meant he understood they were as much a victim as himself.

But it didn't mean he had to like trudging down to Domino City every winter. Especially since most of his college friends were taking a trip down to the beaches of Okinawa this Christmas.

Nope, Yami wasn't bitter in the least bit.

They arrived two days before Christmas this year. His mom had managed to get some extra days off and she intended on using them to get away from Tokyo for a bit.

"Yui-san is worried about Yugi." His mom told him while they were sitting around the kitchen table at the Mutou residence.

"Hn." He continued fiddling with his deck of cards.

"She says he comes home with bruises sometimes. She's afraid he's getting into fights at school." She continued.

Yami burst out in laughter. "Yugi, fight? Hahahahaha! More like get his ass kicked. The runt doesn't have a single malicious bone in his body."

He was then quickly silenced by his mother's glare. He could feel a slight bubbling of shame, the kind where a child knew he had done wrong.

"This is serious, Yami." She scowled.

"But I am serious. Yugi's...incapable of getting into fights. And I don't think Kaiba would let it happen anyway." His mind conjured an image of Kaiba gloating over a bully as his goons beat the crap out of the guy as Yugi cowered behind his friend. As much as Yami disliked Kaiba sometimes, he knew Kaiba wouldn't let anything bad happen to Yugi.

"Yes, but Kaiba-san doesn't go to school with Yugi. He's home-schooled," His mom pointed out and furrowed her brow in deep thought. She glanced over at the clock on the opposite kitchen wall. "He should be getting out of school soon. Why don't you pick your brother up?"

"Okaa-san, he's thirteen, not three. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be for him?"

She threw her hands in the air. "Fine, follow him or something. I don't care. Just make sure your brother comes back in one piece."

And that was the end of that discussion. He finally reached the junior high school half an hour later. There were still a lot of students around. For one, the track team was doing laps around the school. A few girls leaving the front gate stared openly at him as they passed.

Now the question was where to find Yugi? The kid hadn't gone home, otherwise his mom would have called Yami's cell.

He stepped in front another group of girls leaving the school building and asked, "Do you know where Mutou Yugi is?"

They stared at him as well.

"You look almost just like him." One said.

"Except taller." Another added.

"And cute." Someone else chirped.

"I saw him around back, near the gym equipment building." Someone finally answered his question.

Yami made a note to himself to wash off the junior high germs as he pushed past the group. He jogged around to the back of the school and the track team passed him twice along the way. He spotted a smaller building with open doors, and he could see piles of balls and gym mats.

As he came closer to the building, he began to wonder who had left it unlocked. One of the sport teams must have been careless. He was able to close the sliding door and continue his search for Yugi again when he heard voices coming from inside.

"Hello, is someone in there?"

The conversation came to a halt.

He peered in and didn't like what he saw. He balled his fists when he spotted his younger brother backed up into a corner by two slightly older and much bigger kids, the kind that was all brawns and no brains. One of the bullies had Yugi's wallet and the other was busy cracking his knuckles.

It was picture perfect. It was like a scene straight out of some anime, and Yami was suddenly assuming the role of protective older brother.

"Holy shit!" One of the bullies exclaimed when he saw Yami. He kept doubling back between Yugi and Yami.

Yami narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "What do you think you're doing to him?"

They weren't even able to apologize when he was done with them some time later.


	11. Father and Son

**\- Lord of a Fell People -  
**20\. New splendour to the dead

Seto had known it was a gamble from the start. It was a big gamble that he couldn't afford to lose. But this was everything he and Mokuba had worked for since they first entered the Kaiba family. It was all for the sake of making his dream with Mokuba and his dream with Yugi come true.

But sometimes he wondered if it was because he wanted to show the world he was better than Noa.

The Big Five, as the group of Kaiba Corporation's five biggest investors other than Gozaburo was known as, had agreed to cooperate with his takeover plan; in exchange for some executive power though. But Seto was confident he could burn that bridge too when it came time to cross it.

Everything was going according to plan.

Everything **had **been going according to plan.

Kaiba Gozaburo's funeral was small but well-attended. It was filled with mostly business associate, rather than family or friends. Not that he thought Gozaburo had any real friends. It was four o'clock now and the peak time for well-wishers seemed to have come and gone.

He tried to remember the last time he had been next to Noa for this long, but his mind came up blank. The two of them were kneeling next to the altar where visitors could offer their condolences. Most of them spoke mostly to Noa, but Seto was okay with this arrangement.

Mokuba had been sitting next to Seto all day. His younger brother had begun nodding off an hour ago, after having stayed up all night with him.

He poked the boy gently. "Mokuba, you should go to the back room and get some sleep."

The boy rubbed his eyes. "I'm okay, Nii-san. I'm supposed to be here."

"It's okay," Noa said suddenly and gave him a small benevolent smile. "Most of the guests have already come for the day. You should go get some rest."

Seto almost wished Noa had no ulterior motive, but he knew better. Mokuba nodded and got to his feet. Seto watched as the younger boy stumbled away into the room behind the altar.

He glanced over at the smug portrait of Gozaburo displayed on the altar. His adopted father's death had come as a surprise. Gozaburo was a healthy man; sometimes he had been exceedingly health-conscious. Seto suspected there was more to the story.

He looked over at his older brother. The timing had been too perfect. Kaiba Corporations would have already been in his hands, if it wasn't for this unforeseen event.

"What's wrong, Seto?" Noa asked.

He wanted to vomit at the sound of his name rolling off the older man's tongue. He hated to admit it, but Noa was the one person/thing in the world that genuinely discomforted him.

"You don't think your father's death was strange?"

"How so?" The older man seemed to be giving off an air of innocence.

"The police said he fell off his bedroom balcony and broke his neck. His bedroom was on the second floor. People don't usually break their necks from a second-story fall."

"You said it yourself. Not usually, but I guess Chichiue was just _unlucky_." Noa shook his head.

"Just before he was scheduled to meet with his lawyer about his will?" He snapped.

Noa's face wore a shocked expression as he said, "What are you implying, Seto-kun?"

He looked back down again and seethed. "No, nothing."

"Don't worry, I'll keep Chichiue's appointment with you in his place. Now that the funerary rites are almost done with, how about next Monday?" Noa smiled sweetly.

Seto knew he was walking into a trap.


	12. Loss

**\- Lord of a Fell People -  
**11\. My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?

Mokuba was a smart kid. His nii-san constantly praised him for that and he believed his nii-san. He wasn't a genius like his nii-san, but he was clever. And he was bright enough to know he was in over his head.

But what was he going to do? He was only nine years old! How was he supposed to stand up to a man that looked like an angel but was really a monster inside?

He shuddered. He had seen what Noa could do first-hand.

Mokuba couldn't resist the urge to sneak a peek at the other brother sitting at the other end of the conference table. Noa smiled.

"I will kill Seto-kun if he gets in my way. You wouldn't want that, Mokuba-chan, would you?" Noa said to him yesterday.

He diverted his gaze back to his feet.

The atmosphere was tense. Mokuba wasn't so self-absorbed that he thought he was the only one that was nervous. Sure, his nii-san didn't look it, but he knew Seto was just as nervous, if not more.

"With the Big Five's support behind me, it brings my shares up to 49 percent." Seto slid a folder full of paper across the table to Noa.

The older man picked up the folder and flipped through the pages for a few moments. "And you intend to challenge my 50 percent with your meager 49 percent? I think you'll have to try harder than that, Seto-kun. But you did well for a kid. Chichiue would be proud." He gave a toothy grin, the kind that reminded Mokuba of Scar right before Mufasa was killed.

"Are you forgetting something else in your old age?" Seto sneered.

Mokuba really didn't like his nii-san's business face. It was just so different than how he was used to seeing Seto.

"Everything nii-san does, nii-san does for you." His older brother told him many years ago.

Seto was looking at him now. This was his cue. It was his turn to take the stage.

Noa was also giving him his cue. "Do you really want to give your 2 percent to Seto-kun?"

Mokuba's head was spinning and the sound of his own breathing was ringing in his ears. He loved his nii-san, his one and only nii-san. The monster sitting across the table could never change that much.

He looked up at Seto again. His brother could barely contain the excitement. Everything they had worked for in the last few years could come to bear fruit now. If he would just stand by his nii-san's side.

_I will kill Seto-kun if he gets in my way._

But he couldn't let Noa hurt his brother. He couldn't take that chance.

Noa was wearing a smug grin even before Mokuba spoke. He knew and Mokuba knew who was really going to win this round.

"I want to give my 2 percent to Noa-nii-san."

Silence reigned in the conference room. The Big Five seemed devastated that their gamble had fallen through. And his nii-san…

Mokuba could see all the different emotions that flashed across Seto's face: the frustration, the anger, and ultimately the sadness. His chest ached in pain. He stepped away from Seto's side and began walking over to Noa. Every step further away from his nii-san, Mokuba felt like he was dying.

Noa folded his hands together. "Guess that means I win."

"Mokuba!"

He wasn't going to cry, no matter how much he wanted to. Because he was a big boy now.

Because everything Mokuba did, Mokuba did for his Nii-san.


	13. Loss (II)

**\- Lord of a Fell People -  
**18\. Rage at the rage unblest

One day, Seto just changed. He became quiet and withdrawn. He seemed to lose all interest in Duel Monsters. Mokuba stopped hanging around altogether.

"He's busy with Noa." Seto would grumble.

It was as if Yugi's best friend had just vanished into thin air. And he felt so alone.

But he never stopped trying to get through to Seto, because he knew his friend was just as lonely.

A week later, Seto transferred to his school and ended up in his class. Yugi was pleasantly surprised by this turn of event. Now he had a friend at school. His school days would no longer be a continuous cycle of hiding out on the roof to eat lunch with his Game Boy. Or so he hoped.

"Let's eat lunch together, Seto-kun." Yugi proposed not long after the bell rang.

The rest of the class was staring at them. He had to fight down the blush that was coloring his cheeks.

"You probably shouldn't be seen with me." Seto wouldn't look up at him.

But Yugi understood. His friend felt just as alone as he did. He could see what Seto's pride wouldn't allow him to admit.

_Don't go. I really need someone right now._

Yugi smiled. "Let's go up to the roof for lunch. No one ever goes there."

The brunette followed quietly and a whirlwind of gossip followed in their wake.

A month later, it seemed like everything was back to normal. It seemed Seto was back to normal. He began playing Duel Monsters again and he threw himself into developing some kind of hologram system for the cards.

"This will be the greatest game system of all time." He declared.

Then Yugi realized Seto wasn't quite the same as before.

He frowned as he analyzed the play in front of him. "Your playing style has changed. You're brutal and you showed no regard for your own monsters."

"That's the only way to win. You must show no mercy." Seto snarled.

It wasn't long before Seto gained a reputable for being cold and heartless around the school.

"You didn't have to go that far." He said one day after watching Seto take Jounouchi Katsuya a few notches down. He even felt a bit sorry for the blonde.

"He was weak," Seto snapped. "I loathe weaklings."

But Seto never failed to approach Yugi's desk once the lunch bell or the dismissal bell rang. He understood he was the only one with the privilege of staying by his friend's side now.

That thought both delighted and saddened him.

He didn't know about Seto's failed ploy to take over Kaiba Corporations back then. His questions about Mokuba were never answered. Sometimes he wondered if the Kaiba Seto of his childhood was gone forever. But he would see a glimpse of it once in a while, whether it was in the way Seto scared off any of his potential bullies or his silly rivalry with Yami.

Yugi could only wait and hope everything would be okay again in time.


	14. When Jounouchi Met Seto

**\- Folie à deux -**  
46\. I will believe we have the same skin.

Jounouchi didn't like Kaiba Seto one bit.

Not one bit.

He had been there when the brunette first pulled up late to school in some fancy car with a driver. It was as if the rich kid was trying to show off to his new classmates, even though Jounouchi knew Kaiba would have shown up on time to school if he really wanted to show off.

Kaiba was arrogant too. Not in the good way like him or Honda. Kaiba was arrogant in the way he would have expected a pampered rich kid to be. Jounouchi hated the way Kaiba could pull off anything without trying. Kaiba probably never had to work a day in his life.

And the girls thought he was handsome for some reason, and that's when Jounouchi became convinced that most of the girls in his school were nothing but gold diggers. He was sick and tired of hearing his girl classmates gush about how handsome Kaiba Seto was.

Kaiba Seto was not handsome.

And there was the fact he had the thrilling personality of a cold, dead fish. In fact, a cold, dead fish frozen in ice.

So in summation, Kaiba Seto was a pampered rich boy that was too arrogant for his own good, without a slight bit of personality, and certainly not handsome (okay, maybe just a little, but Jounouchi certainly wasn't going to admit it out loud).

"That's nice, Jounouchi," Honda rolled his eyes at the end of the blonde's rant. "So he's another rich bastard that thinks rules aren't for him because he's got money. But I really don't give a crap about Kaiba Seto."

"I'm glad someone doesn't around here." He huffed.

Jounouchi could tell his friend wanted to make a comment, but was keeping it to himself.

Now, he had never actually met Kaiba in person. Everything he knew about Kaiba Seto, he had learned from afar. Not to mention Kaiba was spending almost all his time with that sorta freaky kid Mutou. But Jounouchi was content to stay far away, for the most part.

A week later, he was skipping class and napping on the roof of the school when he was awakened by a conversation. He was about to tell them to get the hell out when he noticed who they were.

"I told you to stop asking me about Mokuba." Kaiba growled. Now that was not a pretty face.

"If you told me what was going on, I would stop asking." Mutou replied with the patience of a saint.

"Like I said before it's none of your business." Kaiba was clenching his fist. Jounouchi wondered if he was going to deck Mutou in anger, because that was something he wasn't going to miss.

"I called Mokuba," The shorter boy said. "And he wouldn't say anything either. Are you two fighting? You're brothers, you're better than this."

Apparently, Kaiba wasn't. The boy turned away in an angry huff and refused to look at Mutou again. The brunette seemed to be clutching something to his chest. The shorter one just sighed and after a few more minutes, left the roof. Only the brunette was left behind.

Jounouchi hopped off the overlooking roof he had been napping on and landed without the slightest sound. The other boy didn't appear to notice him. He crept up quietly to see what the other boy was so engrossed in looking at.

Kaiba still hadn't noticed he was there. He got up on his tip-toe to see over the taller boy's shoulder. It was some sort of rectangular locket with a picture of a little boy with long black hair. Jounouchi had seen Kaiba Mokuba on the cover of some newspaper before. The idea of Kaiba Seto coddling a piece of jewelry with a picture of his brother was..."precious."

He snickered.

And Kaiba heard him. Jounouchi barely ducked in time to avoid the other boy's fist. And that's when he realized Kaiba was tough, in a different kind of way from him and Honda.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Kaiba snapped the locket shut with a loud click.


	15. When Seto Met Jounouchi

**\- Freedom 90 -  
** _24\. when saints set them the example_

Seto didn't have a name to match this face and he didn't really recall having seen this blonde around school before. As far as he could tell, this boy wasn't in his class. Not that he cared about half the idiots in the school. But he was now committing every detail he could get his hands on to memory.

And he hated snoops even more.

Seto snapped the locket shut and glared at the intruder. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing." The blonde shrugged.

Seto slipped his locket back under his shirt and he watched as the other boy sniggered again. He also hated being mocked. He got enough of that on a daily basis from Noa.

"Who cares about your stupid jewelry anyway?" The blonde said and sauntered off the rooftop.

He did later learn the boy's name: Jounouchi Katsuya. A failing student, whom didn't seem particularly bright in the first place, and prone to getting in fights both on and off school ground. His family background was as equally messy with an alcoholic father, and a broken family with an estranged mother and sister. There was also a few minor misdemeanors, including larceny, trespassing, and vandalism. All in all, a nobody that was doomed to failure and obscurity, but doing nothing more than wasting space and potential in the meanwhile.

He didn't care for Jounouchi's type.

But that's when he began to notice the blonde around the school. It was as if Jounouchi was following him everywhere, even though Seto knew it wasn't so. And it irked him to see the other boy seemingly all the time.

It **really** irked him.

Seto had been in a bad mood because of an encounter with Noa in the morning.

"No wonder your mother left you to rot in that hell hole." He snarled at the blonde, knowing full well it was still a raw subject.

Jounouchi twirled around just he passed Kaiba. "What'd you say?"

He straightened his posture. "You heard what I said, mutt. It's obvious why your mother chose your sister over you. It can't be that hard to be smarter than you."

"And I suppose that's why you don't talk to your little brother anymore? Too good for him?"

Seto had to objectively admit that Jounouchi had made a decent comeback. But the larger part of him was too infuriated by the comment that put his love for his brother at question. He could see Yugi growing more and more horrified out of the corner of his eyes. The high point was when Seto's fist was introduced to Jounouchi's face for the first, but not last, time.

That was the first and last time he was sent to the principal's office. They sat across from each other outside the office, alternatively glaring and ignoring the other person.

"I hate you." Jounouchi hissed childishly.

That's when Seto decided he would devote some time to making the blonde's school life hell.


	16. For Better or For Worse

**\- Lord of a Fell People -  
** _17\. Fitly to themselves most hard to bear_

Honda felt like a monkey. A well-dressed monkey, but a monkey none the less. It was Miyuki's big day, but there was only so much he was willing to put up with for his sister (even after she housed, fed, and clothed him on her own expense). And apparently, a tuxedo wasn't one of them.

He couldn't imagine how Miyuki hadn't been turned off by the idea of marriage after the deadly breakdown of their parents'. The very idea of marriage, including other people's marriage, still made Honda want to run and hide till this day.

But Miyuki and Sempai were not like his parents. And he wasn't sure if that was an entirely good thing.

God, he wished Jounouchi was here to entertain him. He tugged at the bowtie around his neck. Then again, he would never hear the end of it if the blonde saw him dressed like this. He was moments away from committing arson, just to get away from this whole affair.

Oh, and he would have done so too. If Morimoto Keiko hadn't been there too.

The older woman was dressed in yellow sundress, with her gray hair up in her usual bun. The brim of her large hat was beginning to droop over her face. She was smiling softly at the couple standing at the altar and Honda swore he saw tears in her eyes.

His sister did look beautiful today. And he had to admit it was nice watching everything finally going well after the last few months of wedding planning hell. And although he didn't quite understand why Miyuki had insisted on a Christian wedding, having never gone to church in her life, Honda admitted it was grand ceremony.

"You may kiss the bride." The priest announced.

The entire hall exploded into applause as the couple kissed at the altar. Soon his sister and his new brother-in-law were gliding down the aisle, leading the way to the reception hall where the kekkon hiroen (1) was being held.

He followed the crowd and secretly marveled at the people that were invited. Even some of the relatives Honda had not seen in years were in attendance.

"You must be happy for your sister."

He knew, without looking, it was Morimoto Keiko from the nasal quality of that voice.

"I am." Sempai was a good man, unlike their father. But Honda still felt ill at ease for some reason.

But the older woman knew why. "Your sister made it very clear, from the beginning, that you would stay with no one but her. This hasn't changed that."

That may be true; but for the first time since he went to live with Miyuki, he felt like he was intruding. He could already envision his sister's happy little household, including the plump little baby they would no doubt have. But he couldn't see himself in that picture, because he didn't belong.

"We should go, otherwise we'll miss the party."

"Congratulations, Honda-kun."

"I think you should be saying that to Miyuki." He retorted and began walking away from the older woman.

"No, Honda-kun. Upon extended review of your sister's living situation, Child Guidance Service has decided you will benefit from the stable family environment provided by your sister. Your sister has been approved as your legal guardian and will be entrusted with your custody until you come of age. You should be relieved."

But Honda wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Kekkon hiroen is the reception party held right after the wedding ceremony.


	17. Drifter

**\- Freedom 90 -**  
_30._  
touched by a thousand invasions  
and still forever an island.

Domino didn't seem all that different from Tokyo. It was a bit smaller, but Ryou didn't see how this constituted as a change in environment. Not that it mattered. They would be gone from here soon enough.

He glanced over at Ryo, his older brother. They could have been identical twins, had it not been for the three years difference in age. Their parents had even thought it was cute to give them similar names. Ryou hated it. And he hated the fact his brother had been gifted with the more masculine features.

"Aniue, we should start unpacking." Ryou said quietly.

The older boy was just lounging on the floor with a manga in hand. He snorted, never looking up from his reading. "Why bother? We'll be out of here by next month anyway."

"Maybe if you managed not to get kicked out of every school that'll still take you at this point." Ryou mumbled. His brother had been kicked out of every possible high school at this point for truancy, fighting, smoking, low grades… Just about everything.

The older boy sat up, leaning his arm over his knee. "You do know that high school education is not compulsory in Japan, right?"

Ryou bit his tongue to keep from retorting and turned away. Ryo wasn't always like this, he tried to remind himself. He had actually been able to tolerate his brother at some point in the past. He had even liked the older boy.

But Ryou was tired and hollow nowadays. The two brothers weren't any different from their father- just constantly moving from one place to another, hoping they'd be able to forget one day. But their father didn't want them with him.

There were still phone calls once in a while, but they were out of obligation, not love. Around his birthday, Ryou knew to expect a card, a check, and if he was lucky, a trinket from their father's latest archaeological dig. And when Ryo was inevitably expelled from all the schools in the area, there was a package with their new apartment key, a new lease to sign, and the address of the next school. But they never saw their father in person.

Their father wanted to forget them too.

And he resented the fact their father was succeeding while they weren't.

Ryou ignored his brother as he continued to unpack their belongings. He could still hope against hope that they would at least be able to settle here for a while longer. He pulled out several framed photographs of the family they had once been: a little sister, summer vacations in Bath, snowball fights in the Cambridge, Christmas with their mother's parents in Liverpool, and so much more.

Now, there was only a seemingly endless cycle of move in, unpack, pack up, and move out; of new schools, being shunned, being bullied, and not being missed.

"I'll do better." Ryo said suddenly.

Ryou wished he could believe his brother. He knew the older boy was sort of apologizing. He knew his brother wouldn't be able to do any better than the last attempt.

He wanted to yell at his brother. But he didn't. Often, he thought he would be better off alone- with his thoughts and only his thoughts alone. The world wasn't worth interacting with. His brother just wasn't worth the trouble. He wanted Ryo to go away.

He wanted Ryo to go away, just like Hahaoya (1) and Amane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Hahaoya is a formal way to address one's mother.


	18. When Ryou Met Honda

**\- Folie à deux -  
** _45\. Misery with tenderness_

Ryou's shoulder protested at the sharp pain as he was shoved against the wall of the school. He kept his eyes on the floor. Looking up at his bullies would only encourage them. He's been through this dozen of times now. Figures Domino City would be no different.

He just wanted to get this out of the way.

"What's with all these freaks in town? First that Mutou kid, and now this weirdo." One of his aggressors sneered.

Ryou had no idea who this "Mutou kid" was. He vaguely felt sorry for the kid if he had to go through this on a regular basis too. Maybe this "Mutou kid" had become just as numb to the routine as Ryou had.

He doubled over in pain when a fist connected with his abdomen. He took care not to make a single sound, not even a squeak as he bent over to catch his breath.

"So you got any money on you, Snow White?"

He kept quiet. They always took his wallet after the beating, no matter what he said during the process.

"Good to know you're not a squealer."

Ryou braced himself for another hit, but it never came. After a few seconds of unsettling quiet, he risked a peek up. Another boy, with spiked brown hair and whom Ryou believed he had seen in his class earlier, had caught the fist of his bully. They didn't say anything, just staring at each other in a silent battle of wills.

Great, someone thought they could do the new kid a favor.

His "savior" met his gaze and finally spoke as if on cue, "Already picking on the new kid for his lunch money? It's been barely three hours."

Ryou silently wished the other boy would just go away. He didn't need to be "rescued." He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. It just wasn't worth the trouble. The last thing he wanted to do was be caught in the middle of a power struggle among the local bullies his first week in a brand new city,

"This is none of your business, Honda," the other bully on the sideline growled. "Shouldn't you be busy chasing after 'your other half'?"

Ryou winced. There was nothing worse than insinuating about another's sexuality among these types. This was going to be a long day…

Surprisingly, Honda didn't rise to the bait. "Funny har har, don't you guys ever come up with anything new? Just leave the kid alone, he has nothing to do with you. Or are you guys no better than the yakuza, just throwing around your weight to take money from people. I hate people like you."

"I don't need your help." Ryou hissed at the other boy.

Either Honda didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. And the idea of the latter annoyed Ryou. He hadn't felt annoyed since his little sister passed away, and it was strange to feel it again after this long.

A brief scuffle broke out, but he didn't pay too much attention to him. He was too busy thinking about how things were just going to get worse because of his classmate's intervention. Maybe he could go to a different school instead. Or maybe drop out altogether. An education couldn't be worth all this trouble, despite what his father thought. Not that his father really gave a damn anyway. He wondered if this boy Honda was defending him for any particular reason. Maybe Honda was just another slacker that wanted Ryou to pass English for him. He had seen plenty of those in his time.

Soon, his bullies were gone, but not before giving some last generic threat on Ryou's person. He had heard them all before too. Only Honda and he were left after that.

"You shouldn't space out like that. That's why they think you're an easy target." The other teenager said.

"I didn't need your help," he sulked like a little child. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, that was you completely in charge of the situation." Honda commented.

The edge of sarcasm invoked the same rise of irritation from before. Ryou wanted to react to this boy…

He stood up straight and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, what do you want from me then? Protection fee? Me to do your homework?"

Honda crinkled his nose in disgust. "I don't want any of that. I just didn't like them picking on others for no good reason. I don't give a damn who **you** are and I don't want anything from you." Without a second glance, the other teenager sauntered off.

Just when Ryou believed that the world could no longer surprise him after all the curveballs it had thrown his way, it tossed him a man of principles to deal with.


	19. Petty

**\- Folie à deux** -  
_41\. Scenes from the Narcissist café_

Noa was about as fake as Gozaburo had been. Seto was always overwhelmed with the urge to stab someone- anyone- during these bogus charity events.

Camera flashes went off and Noa and his bimbo girlfriend-of-the-month hanging off his arm smiled on cue. He didn't know the name of Noa's latest conquest. She was some kind of B-list actress or other. There was no point in learning her name, because she would be gone from Noa's life by next week. Noa's girlfriends never lasted long. And when they broke up, it was never Noa's fault- he always came out as the good guy in the public eye.

Seto turned away in disgust and continued to play the role of the sulking teenager. It was a role he could easily slip into. He was convinced the rest of the world was blind and dumb for not having already recognized Noa for the monster that he was. It was easy to have so little faith in the rest of the world when that was the case.

"That's quite an impressive display of diamonds, Natsu-chan." One reporter commented.

"Oh, this little thing," she caressed the elaborate chain of diamonds around her neck. "This is nothing. Noa-kun has already promised to buy me something bigger for the movie premiere next week." She fluttered her eyelashes at the man.

He saw the dark expression that passed over Noa's features. "Whatever you say, my sweetling." He cooed in return, followed by another round of shutter clicks.

Seto smirked. He could at least take comforts in the small things. Not only would this twit be out of a relationship by the end of the week, she was going to probably emerge from it with her career in shambles- not to mention a reputation as a gold-digging whore.

He took the chance to slip away from the couple while they were busy playing nice with the media. This was going to be his one chance for respite for the evening. Noa wasn't going to let him out of his sight again.

A number of Domino City's socialites had squeezed itself into the small art gallery. He dodged around a waiter carrying a tray of hor's devoirs and nodded at several people that greeted him as he passed.

That was when he found a relatively isolated corner of the gallery to catch his breath. There was another young girl staring at the painting hanging on the wall. Seto almost didn't notice her at first, because she was actually succeeding at blending in with the background.

She jumped and turned around when she heard him approach.

"I'm sorry to bother you." He apologized.

She appeared frozen with fear.

"Shizuka!" Someone called from the crowd, and she bolted without a word.

Seto was confused by her reaction, but now he was finally alone. That was something to be savored. It wasn't long before Noa and his "girlfriend" found him.

"There you are, I was worried." Noa was using that "older-brother" voice again.

The woman cooed something unintelligible about Noa's protectiveness.

He remained quiet and just did his best to glare at the older man.

"Now, now, Seto-kun, is that anyone to act in public." Noa's toothy grin widened.

A high-pitched squeal interrupted Seto's retort and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be grateful that the conversation ended on that note.

"I must have that painting!" She declared and pointed at the canvas hanging on the wall.

Both Kaibas turned away from each other to see what was supposedly so great about this painting. Seto was struck by both the vivid use of color and the contradictory mood of sorrow.

"Noa-kun, it goes perfectly with the décor of my new apartment." She fluttered her eyelashes.

He could see Noa was hesitating now and his own inner demons were dancing in glee. Maybe the chit wasn't that dumb after all. The older man was waving one of the gallery employees over. He had his checkbook in hand and he did not look happy.

Seto was overtaken by a sudden impulse. For once, he was going to take something Noa wanted. He intercepted the employee.

"I'll take that painting for ten thousand US dollars. I will wire you the money by tomorrow." He blurted out.

The employee just stared at him in shock. And out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Noa's expression go from surprise to seething rage.

"That's very generous of you, Kaiba-san." The employee finally managed. "Shall I send it to the Kaiba residence once the payment has come through?"

"No," he smirked. "This is my gift to Natsu-san."

There was a high-pitched squeal from behind, followed by a bone-breaking embrace from his adoptive brother's girlfriend. And he watched with so much satisfaction as Noa's mask began to slip in public.


	20. When Honda Met Ryou

**\- Freedom 90 -  
** _22\. potentiality knocks on the door of my heart_

"I didn't need your help."

Honda looked up. He didn't recognize this white-haired boy standing in front of his desk. He flipped through his mental contact book and could come up with either a name or where he had even interacted with this teenager before.

"What?"

The other boy furrowed his brows in reply. "I can take care of myself. I might as well be a black belt in karate. I didn't need you to come to my defense."

Honda wasn't sure if this person was trying to impress him or challenge him. "Uh, sure, whatever, good for you."

The other boy looked stunned, indignant even. "But it was just yesterday, you couldn't have forgotten already!"

He began recounting the events of the day before. He had breakfast with Jounouchi, got to school late, didn't play attention in class, didn't hand in any homework, had lunch with Jounouchi, fought a few guys before he got back to the classroom, didn't pay attention in class some more, and went home. It was an ordinary day as far as he could remember; nothing special had happened.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He admitted.

The other teenager pointed at his face and asked in earnest, "You don't remember me?"

"Nope." Honda shook his head. He really didn't know who this guy was.

The white-haired boy opened his mouth to say more but couldn't seem to manage. He sputtered indignantly and seemed really offended that Honda didn't remember him.

"Well, just remember what I told you." The other person huffed and turned away.

"So, what was with that guy?" Jounouchi leaned over from the desk next to his.

He shrugged. "I have no idea. So what's for lunch today?"

"I thought you had that make-up English test." Jounouchi furrowed his brow.

He snorted. "Screw that."


	21. Different

**\- Freedom 90 –  
** _26\. the strong and ephemeral_

Kaiba seemed different these day- different in a way that everyone, including Jounouchi, just couldn't ignore. He commanded their attention as an audience, like an expert musician playing his instrument of choice.

Where he had previously attempted to fade into the background, making as little commotion as possible, he now stood out like a peacock among ostriches. Where his expressions had been previously closed off, he now viewed everyone with unveiled arrogance and full confidence.

And the girls at school loved it for some reason.

Honda and he were sitting outside the school, waiting for the first bell to ring. It was one of those rare occasions where they had arrived early. Other students passed them as they made their way to the gate, greeting the teacher on duty and subjecting themselves to scrutiny.

"And so Sempai came home with a motorcycle, and you can probably imagine the way Miyuki looked when she saw it." Honda chuckled.

A limo came to an abrupt stop in front of the school gate. Funny, because Kaiba usually arrived as late as they did. A few heads turned to look, but most people had gotten used to the sight now.

Jounouchi did his best to concentrate on Honda's story, while watching the chauffer step out from the driver's seat and open the back passenger door. Mutou stumbled out, looking slightly red in the cheeks. The boy kept his head low and made a beeline for the gate.

Then Kaiba stepped out… There was silence for a moment, and then a collective squeal erupted across the yard.

Jounouchi's jaw dropped.

The brunette dusted some non-existent dust off the lapel of the long, white trenchcoat. He didn't seem bothered by the weight of all those stares. The black turtleneck and leather pants drew everyone's attention to the boy's slim hips and long legs. Jounouchi was sure there were a number of girls drooling in the crowd.

Everyone's eyes were glued on Kaiba as he approached the gate after Mutou.

Kazuma-sensei, the phys ed teacher, had managed to pick his own jaw off the floor. "Kaiba-kun, that," he pointed at the outfit for emphasis. "Doesn't conform to uniform regulations."

There wasn't a reply. Kaiba just folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrow at Kazuma. He seemed even taller than he already was.

Mutou looked like he was about to die from the embarrassment.

The teacher was unnerved by the brunette's gaze and the growing commotion of the students entering the school. Girls were starting to push each other out of the way in order to get a better look. And students already inside the school were starting to pour out in small crowds.

"Just get inside and go to the principal's office." Kazuma barked.

Jounouchi and Honda moved over to the gate and watched as Kaiba smirked down at the teacher. Another round of squealing erupted.

The brunette dropped his arms to his side and began walking toward the school. His coat tail fluttered dramatically in the wind. On cue, the crowd began followed Kaiba.

Jounouchi turned to his friend.

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?" Honda exclaimed.

He shrugged, feeling just as shocked as his friend.


	22. Usurp

**\- Lord of a Fell People –  
** _12\. No otherways for pomp and majesty_

The company grapevine had been hard at work. Seto knew because more people than usual had surreptitiously planted themselves along the route he always took when he came into the office. Everyone had gathered to see "the different Kaiba Seto." He could feel the tendrils of their collective gossip reaching out to grab a hold of him; their desire to strip him of his skin and to find out what was going on inside.

He made his way over the elevator and several employees behind him scrambled to grab some piece of work off their desks, before stuffing themselves into the elevator alongside him. He had to say the most unnerving part was they refused to talk around him. He was a Kaiba, first and foremost. The students at school were always abuzz, and he didn't mind that so much as this self-imposed silence. But he could feel their eyes- weighting and judging his every move and potential word.

For the first time since he lost the bid for the company to Noa, Seto didn't care.

His stop was in the basement. He had been given a courtesy appointment in R&amp;D in new product development when Noa took over. It was where Seto was most comfortable, but he knew he had been placed there because that was where he would have been of most use to Noa. Because it was in the basement (though huge and well-lit, including an occasional skylight window) and it was out of the view of most other employees. Because Noa could hide him away from the limelight down here...

But that wasn't going to be the case anymore.

Haruhi, their office manager/administrative assistant, was waiting for him as usual. As soon as he approached the door to the lab shared by a number of members in R&amp;D, she handed him a bunch of files and brought him up to date on the progress made since he last came in last Friday. Seto liked Haruhi, though he would never admit it out loud. She was no nonsense and didn't tolerate it in others. Most of R&amp;D liked her for that.

"The professor from Tokyo University just called a few hours ago. Mushi-san will be meeting with you to discuss the proposal for technologies." She was going through her checklist like every time he came in. "Oh, and Noa-sama would like to speak with you privately."

He stopped at the mention of his adoptive brother. "Tell him I'm already booked for a meeting."

"Actually, Seto-sama, the president is already waiting in conference room A."

He scowled. He should have known Noa wasn't going to give up that easily. It wasn't often that the president came all the way to the basement. He turned around and headed for the conference room instead.

"I'll let you know if one of your meetings gets here early." Haruhi informed him.

"Thank you."

When Seto entered the conference room, Noa was standing at the white board and doodling. The older man was in the middle of drawing the scene of a giant monster attacking a city landscape.

"You wanted to see me." Seto just wanted to get this over with.

Noa turned around and took a hard look at him. The man's eyes swept up and down his form and left Seto with a disgusting feeling on his skin. "So the rumors are true."

"Good to see your money is hard at work maintaining the company gossip mill." He straightened his posture and glared at the older man.

Noa came over to his side, running a finger over the fabric of his coat. "So this must be that teenage rebellion stage everyone's talking about. I don't remember being this over the top when I was your age."

"Maybe because that was ages ago, old man." He slapped the hand on his lapel away. "Is this all you called me in for? I have work to do."

Noa gave him a wounded puppy look. "Oh, my heart weeps at the thought of Mokuba-kun becoming like this."

His insides boiled at the thought of the blood brother Noa had taken from him, but he calmed himself. Seto was going to play this game differently from now on. From now on, it was an eye for an eye.

He smirked and looked the other man in the eye. "Natsu-chan called me earlier today. She invited me to join the two of you for dinner tonight- to thank me for the painting, of course."

Noa's lips went taut. "Of course."

"So when are you going to stop leading poor Natsu-chan around? You have no intention of staying with her. You never do."

Seto saw his adoptive brother move with ill intent, but made no move to avoid it. The older man grabbed the lapel of his coat and shoved him down on the conference table- hard. It hurt, but Seto kept quiet and still.

"You do not want to play this game, Seto-kun." Noa growled, moving a hand up to lightly grip Seto's neck. "Do not touch **my** property, or you will regret it. You'll regret it in a way you never thought you could."

His blood was pounding in his ear, enjoying the rush of adrenaline through his veins. He could feel Noa's grip tighten ever so slightly around his neck. And that's when Seto knew he was starting to get to the older man.

Noa stood up abruptly and fixed his tie and suit. Seto sat up on the table as soon as the older man released him.

"Do you understand?"

He remained quiet while Noa walked toward the entrance of the conference room. The older man stopped at the door and turned back to look at him one last time, "And Seto, I don't appreciate you funneling your trust fund money into a doomed attempt to acquire license on some silly card game."

He smiled instead. Noa's mask was slipping more and more each day, and as long as he continued standing out of the crowd in the way the older man didn't want him to, he was going to win in the end.

Because that was one thing he had more of than Noa: time.


	23. Road to Hell

**\- Freedom 90 –  
** _19\. An ancient game of virgin sacrifice_

Mokuba did his best to hide his secret pride for his brother- his real brother. He hadn't seen Noa this aggravated in a long time, and it felt good to watch the older man squirm.

"Seto-kun is getting out of control." Noa mumbled as he strolled back and forth across the length of his office.

"There's not much you can do about it." Saitou-san, the company's chief financial officer, was sitting in the front of Noa's desk. "The media's eating it all up. The public seems to love this new Kaiba Seto."

Noa stopped and glared at Saitou. "That's why you're here. Where is he getting all this money? What is he doing with it?"

"It's all money your father left behind when he passed. Nothing funny about the numbers. He's mainly been using it to make bids for license acquisitions," the older man shrugged, flipping through the stack of paper in front of him. "A number of donations to several charities, among other things."

"I heard rumors that Seto's putting together a proposal to the city on how to redevelop the land by the piers." The older man turned to look out the window at the city below.

The Kaiba Corporation building was the tallest skyscraper in all of Domino City. As a younger boy, Mokuba had always wondered what the view was like from the CEO's office on the top floor, but that was something he was too intimate with nowadays. Under Kaiba Gozaburo, KaibaCorp came to own almost half the city. And Mokuba was continually disturbed by the way Noa's influence continued to spread over the city each and every day. Worse of all, he was aware of how his adoptive brother had garnered that influence...

"Well, there has been some noise floating around in accounting. It seems Seto-sama asked someone to crunch some numbers for him."

"No," Noa snapped. "It's more than that. Seto is perfectly capable of doing the numbers for himself. He planted the seeds. He wants me to know about this. Who else has he been in communication with these days?"

That was another trend Mokuba had begun to notice in recent days. The older man seemed to be getting increasingly paranoid, convinced that Seto was out to get him at every turn.

"Seto-sama has been in contact with several executives for the DisneyLand in Tokyo. It may have something to do with that land proposal you mentioned earlier."

Noa spun around suddenly, picked up a paper weight off his desk, and threw it at a wall. Saitou and Mokuba winced at the sound of the glass shattering. "Get out, Saitou." He snarled.

The CFO knew it was time to leave. "I'll be on my way then, Noa-sama. I'll see you later, Mokuba-kun." He ruffled Mokuba's hair before quickly retreating out of the office.

"He's up to something," His adoptive brother mumbled as he stormed across the room toward Mokuba. "Isn't he, Mokuba-kun? You must know. You know Seto better than anyone else."

He felt nervous, because he had never seen Noa with that expression before. Not even when he had seen the green-haired man push their father out the window that faithful day two years ago, dooming him to spend most of his time since with Noa.

"I don't know." He shook his head.

"You **must **know!" His brother roared.

Mokuba leapt over the side of the sofa and bolted for the door. He didn't get far before Noa grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed him into a nearby wall. He gasped as his breath was momentarily knocked out of him. In that moment, Mokuba truly feared for his life…

"Seto is plotting something, and you have to know what it is. He is your precious nii-san after all." The mad tone in his words caused them to run and slur into each other. "He's still trying to take what's rightfully mine. He still hasn't learned after Chichiue's death. He's trying to take Kaiba Corporations from me, but how?"

"I don't know!" He screamed. "Somebody help! This bastard is crazy!"

Noa hit him for the first time that day. Mokuba could feel his right cheek beginning to swell. He was stunned into silence. Nobody had ever hit him before- nobody.

"Well, he can't have it." The older man muttered frantically. "It's mine. He can't take what's mine. But I'll take everything of his- everything he ever had, everything he ever held dear. I'll take it all, until he has nothing left. I'll make him into nothing."

"You're crazy." He squirmed and tried to get away.

Noa's grip on him tightened. "Your precious nii-san did this."


	24. Best of Intentions

**\- Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel -  
** _34\. But it is hardly suitable for delicate boys_

Seto had never been one to answer many questions, but that never stopped Yugi from asking them in the first place.

"What's that for, Seto-kun?"

It was lunchtime and they were sitting on the roof as they often did. It was their spot and everyone in school knew that- although there were usually one or two girls that would wander up "by accident" to see the new Kaiba Seto.

Seto had taken off his long trenchcoat and was busying himself with his laptop. It used to be that they would chat about some of the latest trends in the gaming industry or about the newly released booster packs for Duel Monsters. But Seto was always busy working nowadays. It wasn't schoolwork though.

Yugi hadn't seen Seto hand in any homework in over two weeks and even most of the teachers had given up on making him pay attention in class. Seto would come into school and do work on his laptop during class, during lunch, and if he didn't leave early to go to KaibaCorp, he would stay afterschool in the library and work some more.

"This?" Seto asked absent-mindedly.

Yugi peered over at the screen. His friend was typing faster than he could read. The huge blocks of text were periodically interspersed with tables and graphs. But Yugi caught key words like "redevelopment" and "urban rejuvenation."

"KaibaLand?" He asked after seeing the word zip by in bold.

"An amusement park." The other boy mumbled but never looked up from his work.

Yugi stared at his friend. Maybe all the pressures of Seto's home life had finally gotten to him. He had never met Kaiba Noa, but he heard a number of things from his classmate and his Jii-chan.

Seto sighed and finally looked at him. "I'm submitting this proposal to the mayor's office. It's for the redevelopment project down by the piers."

"But you're a high-schooler." Yugi felt silly pointing out the obvious. "They won't take you seriously."

"I'm a Kaiba and no one ignores a Kaiba." The other boy snarled.

He supposed Seto was right. If any high-school student was going to get the mayor's attention, it would be one named Kaiba. "But why an amusement park? We already have one right outside the city."

"It's not just an amusement park. It'll be a gamer's paradise. It'll be something the likes of which the world has never seen." Seto muttered with fervor.

Yugi watched the other boy work quietly. He didn't know what had gotten into his friend. He didn't know the origin of the new wardrobe or the sudden change in attitude. Kaiba Seto had always been driven, but this was a whole new meaning to the word.

"Why?"

Why now?

Seto's fingers slowed for a brief second. "Because, because I'm won't let him walk all over me, because I won't let him win. I'm not going to stand by quietly while he does whatever he wants. Because I promised Mokuba." His eyes moved to the spot where a locket in the shape of a Duel Monsters card was now prominently displayed over his turtleneck.

It had been almost two years since he last heard Seto speak his brother's name.

"And Mokuba-kun would be proud of you too." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.


	25. Ill at Ease (Disease)

**\- Lord of a Fell People -**  
_16._  
Do not raise your voice against me, I am not afraid of your  
anthem although the lyrics are still bleeding from the  
bark of my sapless heart.

During lunch, Ryou found himself following Honda and Jounouchi from a distance. He would wait several yards away from the door of their classroom and well, stalked them down the stairs and out the main doors before his better sense usually got a hold of him.

He would stand stupidly in the doorway and flush with embarrassment as people behind him would complain.

"Geeze, what's with this guy? He does this every freaking day!" Someone griped as they shoved him aside.

Sometimes he found himself in similar situations after school had ended, where everyone on the street would stare at him as he rushed to weave and duck behind lampposts to avoid detection.

Ryou had honestly never felt so stupid before in his life.

But at times, he couldn't help himself.

He learned a lot those first few weeks- mainly the finer points of stealth. Honda and his friends were different than the other delinquents at school. They didn't do it for the power, fear, or money. They were different from his brother Ryo, who got into trouble for getting into trouble's sake. They were as Ryou first suspected: real men of real principles.

The idea shook Ryou's world to its core and he became unable to ignore them.

He suspected it was because they were everything he was not…

When he stumbled into the apartment late one evening, his brother looked away from his video game and said, "Wow, you're later than me."

Ryou suppressed the urge to correct the older boy. Instead, a familiar anger resurfaced as he remembered a talk with one of Ryo's teacher. "So much for trying harder." He mumbled loudly.

"Huh?"

"I saw your homeroom teacher today. She says you missed the last week of classes." He snapped.

"Oh that, I just didn't feel like it. You know how it is, I'm not going to learn anything anyway. I'll go back in a few days." Ryo shrugged.

He felt his ire raise at the sight his brother's nonchalant attitude. "I'm so sick of this. I'm sick of moving around. I'm sick of seeing no one but you every day."

His insides froze at the thought of never seeing Honda again, but the fire of his rage continued to burn.

"I'm sick of you ruining everything, and I'm tired of you holding me back! I wish you were dead."

And Ryou would be finally free of the vestigial stump of a family that should have fallen apart years ago.

When his brother looked up at him, he immediately turned away. He could still feel Ryo's glare burn into the back of his head.

"So you finally grew the balls to say it," Ryo said. "Congratulations, little brother. By the way, I'm sick of dealing with **your** self-pitying bullshit too."

He listened as the other boy got up and moved out of the room, followed by the sound of a door closing.


End file.
